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Wu Guoguang: Xi Jinping’s Reversal of the Course, Will China’s Transition be Peaceful or Marked with Bloodshed?

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Cheng Xiaonong: U.S.-China Strategic Relations Have Crystallized

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Xinhua Commentaries: “Exposing the Three Major Political Deficits of the U.S.”

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The CCP’s Performing Arts Troupes in the U.S.

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Xinhua: Armed Police Will Be under the Sole Direction of the CMC

Xinhua announced that the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee published the “CCP Central Committee’s December 27, 2017, Decision on Adjusting the Control System of the Armed Police Forces.” The decision stated that, starting on January 1, 2018, the armed police will be under the sole direction of the Central Military Commission (CMC). It will no longer be under both the CMC and the State Council.

Duowei also reported that the armed police will go through a staff cut from 800,000 down to 400,000.

Sources:

1. Xinhua, December 27, 2017
http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2017-12/27/c_1122175909.htm
2. Duowei, December 15, 2017
http://news.dwnews.com/china/big5/news/2017-12-15/60029875.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

LTN: Police Cracked the Largest Methamphetamine Drug Smuggling Case in Australian History

Major Taiwanese news network Liberty Times Network (LTN) recently reported that Australian police officially announced the outcome of a six-month secret investigation of a methamphetamine (also known as Meth) drug smuggling case. The case involved 1.2 tons of Meth drugs, worth around $1.04 billion Australian Dollars (around US$813 million). The drug dealers were caught red-handed upon delivery. This new case replaced a similar one they cracked at the beginning of 2017 to become the largest in Australia’s history. According to the police, this batch of drugs was sourced from China. The drug dealer group still has their “mother ship” near the seas of West Australia. The recent police move only halted the smaller shuttle boats. The police refused to release more information about the “mother ship” in order to protect the Interpol surveillance mission.

Source: Liberty Times Network, December 22, 2017
http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/2290921

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

VOA Chinese: China Construction Sued in New York

Voice of America (VOA) Chinese recently reported that BML Properties sued China Construction America (CCA), the U.S. branch of China’s largest construction company, for fraud in the project of constructing the Baha Mar Resort, located in Nassau, capital of the Bahamas. BML accused CCA of using large-scale deception in order to significantly delay the completion of the US$3.5 billion resort program. BML is seeking damages of US$2.25 billion. BML declared that CCA submitted hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of forged invoices and intentionally created a situation involving a lack of construction workers. CCA also moved equipment and workers to another construction site that BML’s competitor managed. During the construction period, a large number of Chinese government officials visited the United States and the Baha Mar Resort. CCA also billed for their travel and tourist costs, which were largely unrelated to the construction project (such as tickets to the Empire State Building). BML filed for bankruptcy in 2015 due to the major delay in the construction work, and the bankruptcy caused S&P to lower the Bahamas’ sovereign rating. BML also sued CCA in the High Court of Great Britain.

Source: VOA Chinese, December 28. 2017
https://www.voachinese.com/a/us-lawsuit-against-cca-20171227/4182238.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

German Ambassador to China Complained about Issues between China and Germany

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that, at a press conference not long ago, the German Ambassador to China, Michael Clauss, described a series of issues that Germany had with China. One issue that the Ambassador discussed specifically was the agreement between the two governments to establish a mechanism to facilitate on-going dialogues on Internet security. Clauss said the original discussion started in June. However, because of the lack of good faith in such a dialogue on the Chinese side, there has been no activity since then. The spokesperson from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hua Chunying, later responded that the comments that Ambassador Clauss made were almost “flipping right and wrong,” because, after multiple invitations from China, the German government kept delaying sending the delegation. She thought Mr. Clauss should be more constructive and should make more positive contributions to the China-Germany relationship.

Source: Sina, December 27, 2017
http://dailynews.sina.com/bg/chn/chnpolitics/phoenixtv/20171227/01048190592.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China Keeps Silent on North Korea’s Massive Fake Chinese Currency Brought into China

Duowei cited a Japanese media report that North Korea has recently been mass producing counterfeit Chinese currency renminbi and bringing the counterfeit money into China.

According to South Korean media reports, the North Korean source responsible for the original manufacture of the counterfeit currency is the Pingcheng mint factories under the North Korean Workers’ Party “Room 39.” Its counterfeit money is very sophisticated. Even the bank staff that deals with cash every day cannot tell the difference unless they check very carefully.

The forgery and circulation of other countries’ currencies is called “economic terror” and could have become a big diplomatic issue. However, the response of the Chinese government is quite puzzling. To date, only a handful of police stations have placed a note, “The occurrence of a large amount of counterfeit money made in North Korea,” on the front page of their official websites to remind the public. The official media have been silent. The Chinese government also has not issued a protest to North Korea.

Source: Duowei, December 19, 2017
http://news.dwnews.com/global/news/2017-12-19/60030683.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Zhejiang University Professor Asked to Prove “His Mother Is His Mother” for a Medical Insurance Card Transfer

Sina (China News Agency) reported that when Professor Pan Liyong of the Zhejiang University School of Humanities applied for social security card transfer for his mother in order to bring his mother to live with him in Hangzhou, the Cixi Medical Insurance Center asked him to prove that “your mother is (really) your mother.” He was forced to get a notarized certificate as proof from his school. The certificate of proof spread on the Internet and got widespread attention from netizens.

The circulated certificate from the Humanities and Tourism Research Center of Zhejiang University had its official seal. The certificate said,” Professor Pan Liyong is the director of the Philosophy Department at the Humanities School of Zhejiang University. Recently he brought his mother to live with him in Hangzhou. According to the requirement of the relevant departments of your organization, he needs to go through certain formalities for his mother’s social security medical cards to be transferred. This is hereby to prove that PAN Li-yong’s mother, Chen Ai-Lian, is the mother of PAN Li-yong. It is hereby also to prove that the ridiculous practice of “proving that your father is your father,” which Premier Li openly criticized, is indeed still widespread.

Professor Pan said that when he tried to apply for the social security card transfer for his mother, the staff of Cixi Medical Insurance Center insisted that he provide a certificate of relationship with his mother. He had to get the above proof against his will. He then sent a photo of this certificate to his circle of friends. After the relevant departments from Cixi City saw the photo, the United Front Department of Cixi City promptly contacted him. Then the Cixi City Health Insurance Center immediately processed his mother’s social security card transfer.

Source: Sina, December 28, 2017
http://news.sina.com.cn/s/wh/2017-12-27/doc-ifyqcwaq4969339.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

CCP Bans Celebration of Foreign Religious Festivals; Asks Children to Swear under Oath and to Topple Christmas Trees

Duowei News reported that, recently, China issued a number of documents demanding that the Party, the government organs, the schools, and other organizations prohibit any participation in activities related to Western religious festivals. A video clip on the Internet showed that China does not just prohibit “Christmas” and “Christmas Eve.” It topples all Christmas trees, and also organizes the students to swear, under oath, that they will not participate in Western festivals. The authorities claim that the move is aimed at strengthening traditional culture and enhancing cultural self-confidence.

Sources:
1. Duowei, December 24, 2017
http://news.dwnews.com/china/news/2017-12-24/60031553.html
2. Duowei, December 24, 2017
http://news.dwnews.com/china/news/2017-12-22/60031188.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: Beware of Japan’s Ambition to Become a Military Power

Zhang Huanli, a scholar at the Research Center for International Affairs and a former reporter for Xinhua News Agency in Tokyo, said in an interview with Xinhua that all sides should pay close attention to how much Japan’s defense budget has grown year after year.

Zhang said that Japan’s military expenditures have been breaking new record highs. In the past, Japan had unwritten rules that its defense budget should be controlled and be within one percent of its GDP. Since Abe came to power, this restriction has long been broken. In addition, this year Japan also added more defense-related funds through supplementary budgets. This means that by the end of 2018 Japan’s actual defense budget will far exceed 5.2 trillion yen.

“Doing so, Japan, on the one hand, wants to cater to the United States. On the other hand, Japan hopes to show the United States its determination to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance by strengthening its cooperation with the United States in the military field.”

Zhang Huanli pointed out that, In the long run, increasing military spending in Japan will pose a threat to the security of the Asia-Pacific region. So far, the Abe administration has not made a sincere apology for the crimes that led to the war of aggression. To make matters worse, ever year, Abe has offered sacrifices to the Yasukuni Shrine. This disguised visit to the Yasukuni Shrine undoubtedly is a form of recognizing the war of aggression. Countries that once suffered Japanese aggression cannot avoid remaining vigilant to how Japan’s military expenditures increase by the year and to its ambition to become a military power.

Source: Xinhua, December 23, 2017
http://www.xinhuanet.com/world/2017-12/23/c_129773244.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military Geo-Strategic Trend